Learn how to turn what you see into masterful, expressive art. With the practical
instruction and advice in these pages, you can develop the skills necessary
to draw fine portraits in the realist tradition.
In The Art of Portrait Drawing, skilled artist Joy Thomas passes on
to you the lessons she has gathered from generations of the world’s greatest
artists. Learn about the golden mean, the traditional three-color portrait,
the secrets of proportion and more methods used by the Old Masters and today’s
best artists alike!
Inside you’ll find: · An introduction to every commonly used drawing
medium, including charcoal, Conté and graphite · An illustrated
overview of the history of portrait drawing · Time-honored methods
for drawing accurately · Insights on how to capture not only the likeness,
but also the mood and essence of your subject · Advice on posing a
subject, setting up lighting, choosing the right tools and composing effectively
· 9 in-depth, step-by-step drawing demonstrations to develop your skills
and your confidence Portraying the human face is the ultimate expression of
art. Use The Art of Portrait Drawing as the road map for your artistic
quest.
An incomparable source of inspiration and delight for artists and art lovers,
Strokes of Genius contains hundreds of combined years of expertise, artistic
breakthroughs and, above all, remarkable drawings that leave a lasting impression.
Classic approach to the dynamics of drawing by brilliant teacher with insights and
practical advice on line drawing, mass drawing, visual memory, materials and much
more. 84 plates and diagrams reinforce Speed’s clear presentation. Bridgman's Complete Guide to Drawing From Life: Over 1,000 Illustrations
by George B. Bridgman – Paperback: 352 pages Publisher: Sterling; New Ed edition
(June 30, 2001)
How to Draw Heads and Portraits by
Jose Maria Parramon – Paperback: 111 pages
Publisher: Watson-Guptill Publications (October
1989)
In the fifth century B.C., the Greek sculptor
Polyclitus studied the ideal proportions of
the human body and wrote a treatise called the
Canon, in which he established that the
height of the ideal human figure should be seven
and a half times the vertical length of the
head.
Currently, this book is only available through
the artist, but will soon be available through
major booksellers.
Designed as a workbook with over 300 illustrations,
it is also a literary essay with a stirring
challenge to our society to re-think its perception
of art and drawing. This book has something
for everyone. It is for the person who thought
they could not draw. It is for the beginner
who wants to learn. It is for the advanced artist
who wants to sharpen his skills. It is for the
artist who wants to learn more about portrait
drawing. It is for the art teacher who wants
to enhance their curriculum. It is for a society
that has the wrong idea about art. It is for
the public and private art class. It is for
people who just want to learn on their own.
This book reveals the secrets of a successful
portrait artist and shows you step-by-step how
he does it. This book introduces Lon Haverly's
own line first technique and the primary method
of learning to draw.
Human Figure by John H. Vanderpoel
– Paperback (May 1985) Dover Pubns
Reader review: One of the finest books
available on figure drawing, written by someone
who could do it! His advice helps you look at
the big picture, rather than getting lost in
details. It requires some patience to read,
but most worthwhile things do. A real gem!
Focused specifically on drawing methods—rather
than stylistic preferences—this text/workbook
presents drawing methods in the form of exercises—describing
and illustrating each method in terms of student
practice, drawing theory, and art historical
precedent.
Leveille's easy-to-master techniques and friendly
manner take the intimidation out of drawing
portraits. This guide encourages students to
"forget about creating a likeness," and instead,
to concentrate on seeing and drawing the big
shapes of dark and light. The likenesses will
follow. Includes nine start-to-finish portrait
demonstrations.
The publisher: Diagrams and illustrations
are used to see what happens when the reader
chooses a route that enables him or her to draw
a figure reasonably well in his or her own way.
Albert covers the typical beginning-drawing
territory without being too directive. Observation
and self-evaluation are urged. Discussion of
one's work, Albert says, helps one to evaluate.
This book introduces you to an exciting approach
to figure drawing. It was especially created
by a group of America's most eminent artists
who have demonstrated the methods they have
used in their distinguished careers.You, too,
will find that figure drawing is one of the
areas of art that can bring you much fun and
excitement.
The
Craft of Old-Master Drawings by James
Watrous – Paperback: 184 pages Publisher:
University of Wisconsin Press; 1 edition (April
12, 2002)
The materials, tools, and techniques used by
Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Picasso, Michelangelo,
Holbein, Delacroix . . .
Back in print by popular demand, The Craft
of Old-Master Drawings is both a useful
manual for contemporary artists and a historical
work covering the period from the late Middle
Ages to the mid-twentieth century. It presents
the old masters’ techniques and provides
specific directions for making inks, styluses,
reed and quill pens, and fabricated chalks,
as well as instructions for preparing grounds
for metalpoint drawings. It comprises a body
of knowledge that is essential to artists, students
of art history, curators, and collectors.
Life
Drawing in Charcoal
by Douglas R. Graves – Paperback: 176 pages
Publisher: Dover Publications; 2Rev Ed edition
(November 4, 1994)
Reader review: In this book, however,
the author presents an approach of drawing figures
using charcoal as medium and using mass (rather
than LINES) to achieve the effects.
The book is well-written and very readable.
I finished the book from cover to cover at one
sitting of several hours. To keep it brief and
helpful, the following are what covered in the
book:
1) Materials
2) Values, tonal masses
3) Figure proportions; male and female distinctions
4) Foreshortening
5) Movement and muscles
6) Different modes of charcoal rendering
In my opinion, painters at intermediate and
advanced levels may enjoy the book more than
beginners. The reason is mainly because "traditional"
training usually have beginners learn to achieve
likeness using lines (which, by the way, is
already hard for a majority of beginners). In
this case, the author presents seeing masses,
tones, and values as a way to achieve likeness
and gesture. Needless to say, this approach
is rather familiar to folks who have done some
painting in oil.
Dynamic
Wrinkles and Drapery by Burne Hogarth
– Paperback: 144 pages Publisher: Watson-Guptill
Publications; New Ed edition (October 1995)
Reader review: I can only recommend this book to every artist
out there, because it's the only one that covers this very important
subject -- how to draw clothed human figure effectively. And
not just sitting or posing human figure, but a figure in complex
motion.
Realistic
Figure Drawing by Joseph Sheppard Paperback: 136 pages
– Publisher: North Light Books; 1st ed edition (March 1991)
An excellent choice to supplement life-drawing instruction in
the classroom. Technical information on anatomy, proportion,
lighting, weight distribution, and foreshortening is discussed.
Beyond this, however, Sheppard shows how to render various figure
types and how to capture the figure in motion. The use of a
variety of media gives the book an added dimension. Two hundred
drawings done in a classical style illustrate the points. They
are often accompanied by diagrams to explain the underlying
form. The text is informative and written in a way that gives
the feeling of having an instructor at hand. —Copyright
1991 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
An atelier program between the covers of a book
• Serious techniques for the serious art student
• Study the work of the Old Masters and today’s top
realist
artists
• In the tradition of Watson-Guptill’s
classic Drawing Lessons
from the Old Masters
Ateliers have produced the greatest artists
of all time—and now that educational model
is experiencing a renaissance. These studios,
a return to classical art training, are based
on the nineteenth-century model of teaching
artists by pairing them with a master artist
over a period of years. Students begin by copying
masterworks, then gradually progress to painting
as their skills develop. Classical Drawing
Atelier is an atelier in a book—and
the master is Juliette Aristides, a classically
trained artist. On every page, Aristides uses
the works of works of Old Masters and today’s
most respected realist artists to demonstrate
and teach the principles of realist drawing
and painting, taking students step by step through
the learning curve yet allowing them to work
at their own pace. Unique and inspiring, Classical
Drawing Atelier is a serious art course for
serious art students.
In this innovative guide, master art instructor
William Maughan demonstrates how to create a
realistic human likeness by using the classic
and highly accurate modeling technique of chiaroscuro
(Italian for "light and dark") developed
by Leonardo da Vinci during the High Renaissance.
Maughan first introduces readers to the basics
of this centuries-old technique, showing how
to analyze form, light, and shadow; use dark
pencil, white pencil, and toned paper to create
a full range of values; use the elements of
design to enhance a likeness; and capture a
sitter's gestures and proportions. He then demonstrates,
step by step, how to draw each facial feature,
develop visual awareness, and render the head
in color with soft pastels.
Reader review: Let me say first that I am
highly predjudiced in favor of this book.Also,
learning to draw is DIFFICULT for most of us!!
I had the good fortune to study with Mr. Faragasso
about 20 years ago at the Art Students League.
My father studied with Frank Reilly and Mr.
Faragasso was one of his classmates. After so
many years as a professional painter I can say
that the knowledge that he gave to me has served
me well. I am so grateful that all of this information
has been assemled in one book for all to benefit
from.It is also woderful that the information
has been preserved (none of us are getting any
younger!).
The planes are clearly explained. They relate
to the structures which underlie them, therefore
they can be a bit challenging. However, that
IS our anatomy and it is what we have to learn
in order to move forward and learn to really
SEE and UNDERSTAND what we are seeing. This
book will be a classic.
Note: Robert Beverly Hale is a former director
of the Metropolitan Museum and a portrait
of him can be found on Daniel Greene's
web site.
This classic book, whose foremost author was
one of the great artistic anatomy teachers of
the twentieth century, is an invaluable instructor
and reference guide for any professional, amateur,
or student artist who depicts the human form.
Revealing the drawing principles behind one
hundred inspiring masterpieces, the book presents
work by Leonardo, Michelangelo, Rubens, Raphael,
Titian, Rembrandt, and other greats. These superb
portrayers of figures knew that the secret of
drawing them was seeing how underlying bone
and muscle structures mold the body's surface
forms. Readers are shown how to learn from these
great examples as the authors guide them through
all the steps they would take in a life class
or studio working with live models.
Master
Class in Figure Drawing by Robert Beverly
Hale – Paperback: 144 pages Publisher:
Watson-Guptill Publications; Reprint edition
(September 1991)
Note: Robert Beverly Hale is a former director
of the Metropolitan Museum and a portrait
of him can be found on Daniel Greene's
web site.
I have few figure drawing books that I feel
compleatly happy with and this one is the best.
It shows you how the masters worked with simple
shapes, line, value, mass, and anatomy to represent
the figure. It breaks up the chapters into body
parts and each chapter deals with that specific
part. By presenting works of master artists
and disecting them you understand how the human
form works and can be expressed. I would reccomend
this book to anyone interested in drawing the
figure, especially beginers.
Keys
to Drawing by Bert Dodson – Paperback:
224 pages Publisher: North Light Books; Reprint
edition (June 1990)
Reader review: One of the especially
helpful bits about the book is that it encourages
the development of self-evaluation right from
the start. This means that the things one needs
to think about when drawing become internalised
that much quicker. It really helps the budding
artist to become much more self-reliant and
less dependent on others for insight into how
they are doing.
Albinus
on Anatomy by Robert Beverly Hale, Terence
Coyle – Paperback: 208 pages Publisher:
Dover Publications; Reprint edition (January
1, 1989)
All 80 of the great 18th-century descriptive
anatomist’s brilliant engravings of the
human skeletal and muscular systems. With 80
full-page identification diagrams.
Drawing Portraits by Douglas R. Graves
– Paperback, Watson-Guptill, 1983
Drawing a Likeness by Douglas R.
Graves – Paperback: 176 pages Publisher:
Watson-Guptill Publications; New Ed edition
(March 1984)
Reader review: The artist indeed has a true
grasp on how to draw the portrait. He gives
several very detailed step-by-step lessons,
which are very helpful. He also illustrates
and explains to the reader things like: the
different shapes of the head, feature placement,
and more. He makes a sincere attempt to educate
to the artist on what the face is about.
Reader review:
Strong examples, inspiring, and well thought
out. The book gives a nice historic summary.
Overall, the book is much better than most "series"
books. Good for beginners to figure drawing.
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The
Art of Portrait Drawing
Strokes
of Genius: The Best of Drawing
Artist's Complete Guide to Figure Drawing: A Contemporary
Master Reveals the Secrets of Drawing the Human Form
The Practice and Science of Drawing 
Bridgman's Complete Guide to Drawing From Life: Over 1,000 Illustration
How to Draw Heads and Portraits
You
Can Draw
Human Figure
Figure
Drawing: The Structure, Anatomy, and Expressive
Design of Human Form 
Drawing
Lessons from the Great Masters: 100 Great Drawings Analyzed,
Figure Drawing Fundamentals Defined 
Drawing
The Human Form: Methods, Sources, Concepts
Drawing Expressive Portraits
Basic Figure Drawing Techniques (North Light
Basic Painting)
How
to Draw the Human Figure: Famous Artists School,
Step-by-Step Method
The
Craft of Old-Master Drawings
Life
Drawing in Charcoal
by Douglas R. Graves – Paperback: 176 pages
Publisher: Dover Publications; 2Rev Ed edition
(November 4, 1994)
Dynamic
Wrinkles and Drapery
Realistic
Figure Drawing
Classical
Drawing Atelier: A Contemporary Guide to Traditional Studio Practice
The Artist's Complete Guide to Drawing the
Head
Mastering
Drawing The Human Figure From Life, Memory,
Imagination
Anatomy Lessons from the Great Masters
Master
Class in Figure Drawing
Keys
to Drawing
Secrets
to Drawing Realistic Faces
Albinus
on Anatomy
The Book of a Hundred Hands 
Drawing Portraits
Drawing a Likeness
Portrait Drawing 
The Big Book of Drawing and Painting the
Figure 
Old Master Life Drawings: 44 Plates 
A Step-By-Step Guide to Drawing the Figure
Drawing
Portraits: Faces and Figures
The
Art of Figure Drawing
